Two former HBCU basketball players will take center stage when Winston-Salem State’s Rob Colon faces Florida A&M’s Nasir Core in a one-on-one showdown.
The former WSSU standout and the FAMU product known as NAS will meet December 12 at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia. Ballislife’s “The Throne” event will feature a matchup to 30 points, with pay-per-view access through its YouTube channel.
For fans who followed their college careers, the matchup carries another layer. Two guards who built their games at historically Black institutions now headline an event centered on their individual talents.
Ballislife announced the battle with NAS riding a 37-game winning streak in games to 30 points. His latest victory came against former NBA player Jonathon Simmons at September’s REDEMPTION event.
Rob Colon arrives with momentum of his own. He defeated former NBA guard Walt Lemon Jr. 31-0 and beat former NBA champion Quinn Cook 101-97. Those results give the Winston-Salem State product a compelling résumé entering his meeting with the former FAMU guard.
The attraction is clear: an established winning streak against a challenger whose recent performances demand attention. Their shared HBCU background gives WSSU and FAMU supporters a direct connection to the showdown.
Colon’s ability to deliver under pressure should sound familiar in Winston-Salem.
The Jacksonville, North Carolina, native earned CIAA Rookie of the Year honors in 2017. He later helped WSSU capture the 2020 CIAA Tournament championship, making three crucial free throws during its comeback victory. Colon earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.
His college career ended without an NCAA Tournament appearance that spring because COVID-19 canceled the event. He has since become a star in the one-on-one arena.
That history adds substance to his current rise. Before online audiences watched Rob Colon challenge former NBA players, HBCU fans watched him help restore championship success at WSSU.
NAS brings FAMU roots and BIG3 credentials
Core’s basketball journey also stretches well beyond viral clips.
During his senior season at FAMU, he scored a career-high 29 points in a 97-95 double-overtime victory over Delaware State. He added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal, providing a glimpse of the competitive production that would follow college.
NAS subsequently built a following through one-on-one basketball and expanded his platform in the BIG3. HBCU Gameday reported in July that he scored a league-record 31 points for the Detroit Amps. That performance included five three-pointers and a four-point basket.
Now, the former FAMU guard faces another HBCU product with his own history of memorable scoring performances.
The matchup puts both players’ post-college journeys in focus. Each has found an audience beyond his former campus, while carrying a basketball foundation connected to those institutions.
For Winston-Salem State and Florida A&M fans, December 12 offers a chance to follow familiar names onto a different stage. For Rob Colon and NAS, it offers a direct test against an opponent whose recent results explain the anticipation.
One brings the streak. The other brings the opportunity to end it.